


Lullaby for a Saint

by n00t



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Alternate History, F/M, I'm Bad At Tagging, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, War of Heroes (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:40:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26108101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/n00t/pseuds/n00t
Summary: Cichol is sent to the Church of Enbarr to investigate a mysterious sleeping sickness, and is entranced by a quiet nun. Together they fight the mysterious disease, but more trouble is yet to come.**This work is unfinished and has been discontinued. There will be no further updates, and the story is not finished.**
Relationships: Seteth (Fire Emblem) & Original Character(s), Seteth/Seteth's Wife (Fire Emblem)
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place before the Red Canyon Massacre, and involves Seteth (then Cichol) and his time in Enbarr leading up to the War of Heroes. See the end of the chapter for more notes!

“Safe travels brother!” a warm voice chimed from the doorway. Cichol turned to face Indech, giving him a knowing smile.

“You know you could come with me if you wish, I would appreciate the backup if these rumors are true.”

“I think it’s best if I stay here. Hold down the fort and all that. But with the way it’s looking now it probably won’t be long before Seiros sends me off on a mission of my own.”

“Well if she does, know that I will remember that you turned down my request for aid.” Cichol jeered, stifling a chuckle at the brief look of panic that crossed his brother’s face.

“Would you two can it already? Seiros will get even more angry if you delay this journey any longer, and with you gone I’ll be the one to take the punishment.” chided Macuil, breezing past Indech who still lingered in the doorway. “You forgot a bag. Again. Lucky for you I spotted it, otherwise you would have gotten halfway to Enbarr again before having to turn back. I don’t know if Seiros will let you live that one down.” Macuil tossed the satchel to Cichol with a smirk, knowing that Cichol’s previous forgetfulness had merely been reluctance to leave.

“What would I do without you, Macuil. My mind just isn’t what it used to be I’m afraid.” Cichol said sarcastically, earning him a hearty eyeroll from Macuil.

“Stalling again, Cichol?” The stern voice made his blood run cold.

“Forgive me Seiros, I was just about to leave.” Cichol replied, bowing his head stiffly. Seiros strode towards him, her warm smile barely counteracting the ice in her gaze.

“I need not remind you that this investigation is urgent, time is of the essence in this matter.” she said firmly.

“Of course. I am departing momentarily. I was just retrieving a few more things that I had forgotten.” Cichol turned to his wyvern, stowing the satchel away in a saddle bag on its hip. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I will say my goodbyes to my brothers.”

“Safe travels Cichol, may the Goddess protect you.” Seiros turned with a flourish of her cape and strode back the way she came.

“Wow, that was tense.” mumbled Indech from his place on the stoop.

“That was cold, even for her.” agreed Macuil.

“I wish you two the best of luck with her, and it is looking like you’re going to need it.” Cichol said with a sigh, patting his wyvern on the neck. “Well brothers, it is time I set out. I need to make it to Enbarr by sundown.” Cichol had just barely finished his sentence when he was wrapped in a rib-crushing hug from Macuil. He grunted and gasped in discomfort as his brother held him for what felt like an eternity before he was finally released. Macuil gave him a toothy grin as Indech wrapped him in a much more gentle hug. Cichol patted his brothers on the shoulder, smiling warmly at them before he climbed aboard his wyvern, who shifted happily below him.

“Be safe Cichol, write as soon as you can.” called Indech, who was already retreating to the doorway.

“Take care Cichol. If you’ve forgotten anything else, consider it mine now.” chided Macuil with another toothy grin.

“Stay well, my brothers. We will meet again soon.” said Cichol with a wave, spurring his wyvern into takeoff. He looked back at his brothers, Macuil with his arm around Indech, and both waving like children. Cichol beamed, warmth in his heart, as his wyvern soared higher into the morning sky. He watched as his house grew small below him, pointing his wyvern towards Enbarr. 

As Zanado faded in the distance, so too did the warmth he had felt. Once again he was on his own. Admittedly, he had forgotten his satchel of tunics on purpose so that he could return to speak to his brothers away from the prying eyes of Seiros, as she had coldly sent him off yesterday morning. But now he had no excuse to turn back and no way to avoid his loneliness as his wyvern soared through the empty skies. He pondered his mission, one he had chosen specifically to get away from Zanado. He knew he needed to get away and start fresh, but he had forgotten just how lonesome a new beginning could be. As much as he wished his brothers could have come with him, he knew that Seiros would not allow it. What troubled him most was why she would not allow it. He shook his head to clear those thoughts away. Now was not the time to invent conspiracies. He let the steady beat of his wyvern’s wings center him as they drifted along towards Enbarr. It would be a long flight, but his wyvern knew the way. He lay back as best as he could against his saddle bags and tried his best to drift off into some semblance of sleep.

-

Cichol sat up as the expanse of Enbarr crept into view. The sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon. He was late, but he hoped he could still find lodging for the night. His wyvern touched down by a small inn outside the city. He removed his saddle bags and strung them over his shoulder, handing the reins to the young stable boy along with some pocket change as a tip. The boy and the wyvern lumbered off into the stable as Cichol took a deep breath of the cool night air before heading into the inn. Luckily, the small inn still had one room remaining and Cichol settled in for the night. The meager lodging was practically a broom closet compared to his room back in Zanado, but he knew it would suffice for the night. He opened the small window to let some air in, hoping sleep would come in with it. Much to his avail it seemed sleep would evade him yet again, so he took to studying the knights’ report on his assignment by the candlelight. He had read it at least a hundred times by now: “Unidentified sleeping sickness. Cause: Unknown. Cure: Unknown. Not known to be readily transmitted through physical contact. Cases to date: 37.” He rolled the parchment back up and pressed his fingers to his temples. He didn’t know what good he would be able to do here; he was not a healer nor a scientist. All he had was a blessing from the goddess and uncanny good luck. He hoped that would be enough to stop the sickness before it became a real issue. He snuffed his candle out for the night and tucked into bed, where a fitful sleep with unsettling dreams of his loved ones found him.

-

He awoke with a start to the sound of mercenaries shuffling past in the hallway. Light was just beginning to creep through the window. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stretched, hoping that his restless night would not influence him too much. He knew the first impression he would give to the citizens in need was crucial, as they would need to place their trust wholly in him. He tidied up his room, packed his belongings, and headed for the attached tavern to get some breakfast before his assignment truly started. He found a seat in the corner and tucked into his meal, making sure to listen to the conversations happening around him. As much as he hoped to catch some information that would be of use, all the patrons had to talk about was local gossip and the quality of the recent harvest. He left the tavern none the wiser about his assignment, and frankly sick of hearing about the locals. His wyvern was waiting for him outside along with the young stable boy, who refused to meet his eye. Cichol thanked him for his hard work, and gave him a bit more change for his efforts. The stable boy bowed, muttered a quiet thanks, and scurried off back into the stable like a startled fawn. Cichol noticed that his wyvern’s tack had been very well cleaned, and made note to return later when he had more change to pay the stable boy again for his effort. He climbed aboard his wyvern again and soared into the city of Enbarr, watching for the telltale spires of his destination.  
At long last he found them, and his wyvern descended onto the street, kicking up a cloud of dust with its great wings. Cichol bent to pat his wyvern on the neck, but suddenly something in the dust cloud made his hair stand on end. They were not alone. Someone coughed, waving the dust away from their face as they worked their way to the center of the cloud. Cichol slid off his wyvern, lance gripped tightly in his hand. The coughing figure finally made their way through the cloud, nearly bumping right into the wyvern. They placed their hand on the wyvern’s neck to steady themselves, still waving the dust away with their other hand, eyes shut tight to the dust as it began to settle around them. The figure was in a long brown dress, with a veil tucked tightly around their face. It felt like an eternity went by before the dust finally settled and the stranger was able to stop their frantic waving and coughing. Cichol stepped closer to the person, ready to offer a hand of support. He was met with a pair of jade green eyes, and the shock on her face was clearly reflected on his own. She quickly bowed her head, stumbling over several rapid apologies before clearing her throat and standing tall again.

“I am deeply sorry for startling you, Lord Cichol. It seems your wyvern caused quite a stir. Welcome to the church of Enbarr, we are so grateful you are here.” she spoke in a soft, warm voice that danced over his pointed ears. He quickly cleared his throat before bowing to her slightly.

“Please take my apologies, I did not mean to cause such a scene. It seems the streets were dustier than I had anticipated” he added awkwardly.

“Again I am sorry my lord, we should have cleaned better.” she said meekly, bowing to him again.

“There is no need to apologise, the fault is my own. And please, you need not address me so formally. Just Cichol will do.”

“Of course, my lord. Ah, I mean, Cichol.” she paused, playing with the fabric of her skirt awkwardly, her face bright red. “Please follow me, the bishop will want to speak with you.”

She ushered him inside as other church members quickly moved his wyvern out of the street. They silently walked side by side through the chapel, their footsteps echoing on the great walls. They passed through the chapel into an audience chamber. She bowed quickly and stepped out with uncanny speed, shutting the wooden doors behind him before he even had the chance to ask her name. Cichol was not aware of another Nabatean living in Enbarr, though he supposed that he may have missed it in the haste of his assignment. He was greeted by the head bishop of the church and briefed on the mission as it stood, though he found himself thinking more of a pair of jade green eyes than of a sleeping sickness. An awkward pause snapped him back to reality, and he stumbled to find a reply to the question he only half heard.

“I am sorry, I fear the journey has taken its toll on me. I had a bit of an incident outside that has been a mite distracting. Forgive me for changing the subject, but who was the young woman who brought me in?” he asked the clearly frustrated bishop.

“Lord Cichol, if there was a problem with one of my flock then I assure you it will be swiftly dealt with. I apologize on her behalf, and I will be speaking to her later.” the bishop replied, shooting a pointed look at the wooden doors he had come through.

“Oh, no, it was nothing that would require any disciplinary action. I merely wish to apologize to the young lady for frightening her with my wyvern.” he said, finding his cheeks growing slightly pink at the memory.

“I suspect you’ll find her in the choir room at this hour, though I warn you she can be a bit hard to talk to. Very quiet, that one.”

“Well then, I think I shall take my leave for now and return after lunch to continue our discussion. Thank you for your time, Bishop.” he bowed curtly, and quickly ducked out of the audience chamber, shutting the doors behind him and leaning against them with a sigh. He set off to find the choir room, hoping it would be in the same place as it was in Zanado. He found a small set of stone steps to the side of the cathedral and followed them down into the basement, where he heard the slightest echo of a familiar tune. He followed the sound down a few hallways until he found its source, where he paused outside the doorway to listen more. She continued to sing the tune, a lullaby he had heard many times in his childhood. He found his eyes growing heavy as the tune began to cast its spell on him, but quickly shook it off as he recalled that the purpose of his journey was not to eavesdrop. He quickly composed himself, straightening his tunic and smoothing down his long emerald hair before knocking gently at the door. The singing suddenly stopped, and he heard the woman fumble to adjust something quickly before she beckoned him in. He rounded the corner to find her seated at a small desk looking just as frazzled as she did when they met outdoors earlier. The warm glow of the light from the small window above her desk framed her in a beautiful light, and he felt his heart skip a beat.

“Ah, Cichol, it is you. I am sorry, you gave me a bit of a fright.” she said, just loudly enough for him to hear her.

“Forgive me, I did not mean to intrude, but I wanted to apologise again for the commotion earlier.”

“Oh, no need to worry yourself over that. It has been some time since I’ve been around a wyvern is all.”

“Still, I do wish I wouldn’t have frightened you so. And now here I have frightened you again. I assure you that is not my intention in the slightest.” he could feel himself starting to stumble over his words as his nerves got the better of him. She smiled at him slightly, and he noticed a small piece of jade green hair sticking out from under her scarf. “I do not mean to pry, but I simply must ask where you learned that song you were singing just now.”

“My mother used to sing it to me when I was young to help me fall asleep.” she looked away from him, playing with her skirt again.

“Ah, I merely asked because as a matter of fact my mother used to sing that very same song to me when I was a boy.” he said with as warm of a smile as he could muster. She blushed, tucking the stray hair back under her scarf. “Well, now that my apology is hopefully accepted, I will take my leave.” He bowed to her and turned towards the door, face turning red once again. “Oh, one last thing before I go, I don’t believe I caught your name earlier.” she ducked her head once again, clutching her skirt in her delicate hands.

“Forgive me, I must have forgotten.” she turned to look at him again, jade green eyes meeting his emerald ones just as they had before. “My name is Rinne.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello folks, hope you enjoyed so far. To my knowledge, the lore from this period of Fodlan's history is not well fleshed out, so if I make any mistakes or go against the established lore then please call me out so I can adjust for it! Second and third chapters are already in the works ;)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cichol pays a visit to the infirmary, where he finds a new resolve to seek out a cure.

Once again, sleep failed to find Cichol as he tossed and turned in his bed. The church had given him a rather large space to stay, probably reserved for visiting high-ranking officials. He wondered if this technically made him a high-ranking official, but the thought was quickly chased out of his mind by a familiar melody and the memory of a single strand of jade green hair peeking out from inside a scarf. He sighed aloud, wondering if sleeplessness was becoming the new normal for him, as it now happened more nights than not. He thought it almost ironic that he was sent to cure a sleeping sickness and yet could not find any sleep himself. But fate was a cruel mistress, and so he resigned himself to another night of deep thought. He figured if he must be awake he could at least ponder the cause of the sickness and try to piece the few clues he had together and try to determine the next best move, but once again he found himself thinking only of jade green and a melody pulled from the deepest depths of his memory.

-

A soft rapping at the door drew him from his light sleep, and he arose to answer the door in his groggy, half-asleep state with little thought as to who might be on the other side. He figured if someone was disturbing him this early in the morning, they should expect him to be a bit ragged. He opened the door to be met with a set of jade green eyes, but not the ones that had been plaguing his mind all night.

“Forgive the intrusion Lord Seteth, I have your morning meal and a briefing from the bishop about today’s schedule.” she said with a gentle bow.

“Yes, of course. Thank you.” he replied, his morning voice low and raspy. He opened the door a bit wider, and several nuns scurried in, placing several silver trays on his desk while the jade-eyed nun watched their movements closely. The nuns left as quickly as they came, and the jade-eyed nun handed Cichol a rolled piece of parchment with a slight cold smile before bowing deeply and turning to exit the room. “Hold a moment, forgive me if I am being too forward but might I ask your name?”

“Of course, my lord. I am called Inde.” she said coldly, the ice in her stare reminding him of the chill he often found in Seiros’s gaze. He thought it ironic that he had traveled all this way to be rid of that gaze only to find it once again.

“If that is all you need, my lord, I shall take my leave.”

“Yes, thank you Inde.” he bowed his head slightly, and she turned on her heel to leave with all the flourish Seiros so frequently used. He sighed and shook his head, shutting the door behind her as her footsteps echoed down the hall. It was odd enough that there was one Nabatean living secretly in Enbarr, but now a second? Their appearance was strikingly similar, he figured they may be siblings. It was not entirely impossible that a family had moved from Zanado to Enbarr, but such moves were typically well-documented by the council. His thoughts were almost deafening as he crossed back to the desk, and he tried desperately to think of something else. Anything else. He settled on contemplating how the architecture of the room differed from those of Zanado. Hopefully this would be enough to cleanse his mind of the whirlwind from earlier. He sat at the desk and tucked into his breakfast, reading the message Inde had delivered as he ate. According to the briefing, five new people had succumbed to the sleeping sickness yesterday, bringing the total number of infected people to 42. In the scale of a city as large as Enbarr, this amount of people was almost negligible, but the speed at which the sickness was taking hold of people was alarming. Since the sickness had been reported ten days ago, people were falling ill at a higher rate each day, and none had yet recovered. Thanks to attentive care from the healers, none had perished from starvation due to the disease, but Cichol knew it was just a matter of time before people started dying as the healers became overwhelmed.

He quickly finished his breakfast and got dressed for the day, tying his long emerald hair back with a black cord, making sure the tips of his ears did not peek out from the sea of green. He found himself fussing with his appearance a bit more than usual, and wondered who he was preening himself for. It was certainly not the bishop, nor was it Inde. He knew that it was for the woman who shared Inde’s eyes, but quickly pushed the thought of her from his head. He was on a mission, now was hardly the time to worry about courting, even if she was one of the most beautiful women he had ever laid eyes on. He wondered briefly if Inde and Rinne might be related, and made a note to ask Rinne about it the next time he saw her. He found his heart beating a bit quicker at the thought of seeing Rinne again, and chastised himself for being so excitable. He checked himself in the mirror once more before heading down to the audience chamber to meet with the bishop.

-

The air was heavy with the scent of incense and other perfumes as he pushed the heavy cloth out of his way. Inside the infirmary, healers bustled around several rows of people on beds, still as corpses save for the occasional gentle rise and fall of their chests. The head healer approached him, looking as though she hadn’t slept a wink since the sickness set in ten days ago.

“Thank you for coming, my name is Nessa.” She bowed her head slightly to him, before turning to lead him down the aisles between the beds. “I have been a healer for more than 30 years now, but I am at a loss here. I have tried everything from ancient natural medicine to white magic and so far nothing has been successful in waking them. Right now we are just trying to keep them alive until we hopefully have a breakthrough. But honestly, my team is losing hope and frankly I am as well.” They stopped at the bedside of a teenage girl, her light brown hair braided down the sides of her head and tied with red ribbons at the end. She looked so serene and peaceful, but the sight unnerved Cichol. “She came in a few days ago. So far we don’t know how the disease is transmitted, so we thought it was random. But then, yesterday…” She trailed off as she turned to the other side, where another even younger girl laid, matching braids and red ribbons in her hair. Cichol felt his breath hitch in his throat. The girl couldn’t be more than seven years old, and her sister no more than fourteen. “This is our first case of transmission within a household. Frankly we don’t know what to make of it, perhaps it was a mere coincidence.” She trailed off again, gently smoothing the sheet tucked around the younger girl with sadness in her eyes. Cichol shared in her sadness, forcing back tears that threatened to well up in his eyes.

“I assure you, I will do all I can to save these people. For now, I think it best that we speak to the family of these girls and try to deduce what we can.” Cichol said with as much strength as he could muster, forcing out the emotion that threatened to crack his voice. Nessa nodded, giving the girls one last sad look before heading to her office to give Cichol the information on the girls’ family home.

-

Cichol knocked on the wooden door, and heard the rush of fabric and feet moving to answer his knock. A slight woman answered the door, hair the same light brown as the two girls in the infirmary. Her eyes were slightly red and puffy. Try as she might to hide it, he could see that she had been crying. Frankly he could not blame her, as he knew he would be in a similar state if he was in her situation.

“I apologise for disturbing you, my name is Cichol and I am here from the Church of Enbarr. I was hoping to talk to you about your daughters.” At the mention of her children, he saw tears well in her eyes once more, and his heart ached for her. She quickly composed herself, but the shaking of her voice betrayed her appearance of composure.

“Of course, please come in.” She ushered him in and shut the heavy door behind them, leading him into their sitting room. A low fire crackled in the hearth, and the smell of home-cooked food wafted in from the kitchen. “Can I get you anything? Tea?”

“Tea would be wonderful, if it is not too much trouble.” he said, seating himself in a plush chair. She nodded and bustled off to the kitchen. He looked around the modest room in her absence; the family were clearly not struggling to make ends meet, but he knew their funds were not abundant. He was reminded of his mother’s home in Zanado, which shared the warm and relaxing atmosphere he felt sitting here. He was drawn out of his moment of repose by the woman returning with a small teapot and two cups. She set them on the low table before him, and poured them each a cup of tea. The aroma reminded him even more of his mother’s home, and he was almost overcome with emotion at the memories that stirred of his mother and of the two girls with red ribbons in their hair.

“Lord Cichol, thank you for coming by. Forgive my rudeness earlier, my name is Cara. I am afraid my husband is at work right now, so I hope my answers will be sufficient for you.” She sat on the sofa across from him, taking a sip from her teacup before setting it down with a trembling hand.

“Thank you for your hospitality, Cara. I hope that together we can find a cure for the sickness that plagues your daughters. It would be helpful if you can tell me all you remember about the days leading up to when your daughters got sick; places you went, things you did, even the food you ate.”

“Yes, let me think for a moment. Before my eldest Ciara became ill, we traveled to the coast to do some fishing. My husband loves to fish, you see, and we try to go at least once every few moons. My daughters love swimming in the sea, and usually spend most of their days in the water when we visit the coast. However, Ciara grew exhausted after only one afternoon of swimming. We thought it was simply because she had not done any strenuous activity in many moons due to her schooling. We took her back early that evening, and the next morning it was as if she was in a trance.” Her voice cracked with emotion, and she took a moment to compose herself. “I had to spoon-feed her breakfast, as she would not eat on her own. I sent her quickly back to bed after breakfast, and s-she never... woke up after that.” She trailed off, tears streaking down her cheeks as she stifled her sobs.

“I am sorry we have to speak of this, Cara. I know it must be upsetting for you. Please take all the time you need, there is no rush.” he assured her, trying his best to soothe her with his voice.

“Forgive me, I do not mean to break down like this. We brought her to the infirmary here in the city, and returned home. My youngest was distraught at the loss of her sister. She locked herself in her room and cried until she could cry no more. I wanted to do the same, but my husband insisted that we remain strong. Without my girls now though, I fear I have lost the ability to be strong. My girls are everything to me, they are my reason for living. To lose them both…” she trailed off again, more tears streaking down her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away, and composed herself again. “The day before yesterday Fiona was out in the backyard playing with her friends. I was so happy, as it seemed her sadness had finally gone. I turned away to fix dinner in the kitchen. The next thing I knew, her friends were screaming in the yard. I panicked. I ran out the door to find Fiona collapsed in the grass, her friends all distraught. I sent the children home and brought Fiona inside. I called my husband down, and we tried to wake her but had no success. We hoped she would wake the next morning, but she did not.” She was overcome with emotion, sobs wracking her body. Cichol quickly moved to sit next to her, and she sobbed feebly into his shoulder. When it seemed the wave of emotion had finally passed, she drew away from him, drying her eyes again. She appeared hollow, an empty shell of the woman he had spoken to only a few minutes before. He felt the weight of her overwhelming grief, and knew it was his time to leave her to be alone.

“Miss Cara, I thank you for your hospitality and for your information. I will journey to the coast personally to see what I can deduce there. I swear to keep you informed on whatever I find out. I will save your daughters, I promise you.” he said firmly, standing to leave. She smiled at him through her tears, and he could see the hope and desperation in them.

“Thank you. I know my daughters are in good hands with you. If you need anything else, I will be happy to assist you in any way I can.” She led him to the door and bid him goodbye. He bowed to her, touching her arm gently. She smiled at him again before stepping inside and shutting the door behind her. He breathed a long sigh, he wished he could do more for her than make empty promises. He returned to the church with a heavy heart, his mind racing in a million different directions. Tomorrow he would depart for the coast, and would hopefully return with answers to some of his questions. As he tucked into bed for the evening, he found himself overcome with emotion. He let the tears fall silently from his eyes for Cara and her daughters, and for all those who he had lost. He did not know how long he cried, but he eventually drifted off to sleep.

-

_Cichol? Cichol, help me! Please, help! Cichol, I’m scared!_

_Cichol, I love you! Ci-_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello friends, thank you for reading! chapters 3 and 4 are finished, and chapter 5 will be finished soon as well, so check back soon for updates!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cichol prepares for his departure with his companions.

Cichol was stirred from his sleep again by a gentle rapping at the door. He fumbled through the dim room to his door, opening it to be greeted again by an ice cold gaze from jade green eyes.

“Good morning, Lord Cichol.” Inde bowed her head stiffly, her monotone voice and steely gaze sending another shiver down Cichol’s spine. He stepped back and the crew of nuns rushed in as they had yesterday, placing his breakfast on the table and leaving as quickly as they came. “Another message from the bishop for you, my lord. He requests your presence as soon as possible.”

“Tell him I will be down as soon as I am done eating. Thank you, Inde.” he replied, matching her steely and monotone speech. She nodded stiffly and strode away down the hall. However, her chill did not leave Cichol until her footsteps faded completely. Cichol wondered if someone as cold as Inde could really be related to someone as warm as Rinne; the two were as different as could be. But he was reminded of his own brothers and how different they could be. He felt a pang in his chest at the thought of Indech and Macuil. He wondered what trouble they could have gotten themselves into in his absence. He could see it now, Macuil on bended knee before Seiros, spinning an apology at breakneck speed, clever smirk hidden from her steely gaze. The image made him chuckle. As he tucked into his breakfast, he wrote a quick message to Indech, telling him of Enbarr, and how it was so different from home. He neglected to mention a certain jade-eyed individual, as he knew Indech would chastise him for getting distracted from his mission. As Cichol finished his breakfast and put the finishing touches on his letter, another knock sounded from the door.

“Come in.” he called. The door opened to reveal Inde again, icy as ever.

“Forgive the intrusion, but Bishop Edvin would like to see you now.”

“Of course, I was just about to head down. I have a letter I need sent back to Zanado promptly.”

“Allow me, my lord. We will have it sent right away with our fastest messenger.”

“Thank you, Inde.” He held the sealed letter out to her, and she snatched it quickly from his hands. “Now I must be off.” He tipped his head to her and strode off down the hall.

-

“Lord Cichol, are you sure you do not wish for a guard to accompany you to the coast?” Bishop Edvin protested, his voice almost a whine.

“I am sure. I may not look it, but I can defend myself if needed. Though if you insist on sending someone along, I would not be opposed to the company of a healer or scholar to help me with my investigation.” Cichol paused, knowing exactly who he wanted to bring with him.

“I can ask if Nessa would be willing to accompany you, if that is what you wish.”

“I would not mind Nessa’s company, though I would hate to take your head healer away.”

“Do not worry, Nessa has trained her team well. They will be fine without her for a few days. Is there anyone else you would like to bring?”

“None stand out.” Cichol lied through his teeth. “Though if there are any other members of your flock that wish to accompany me I will hear them out.”

“Of course, I will announce it to them at once and direct them to you. I can make a few other recommendations if you would like.”

“That won’t be necessary. I will retire to my chambers to gather my belongings. If you could send any interested parties there I will hear them there.”

“Yes, lord Cichol. When will you be departing?”

“Tomorrow at dawn, and I will not return for several days. However, if we find compelling evidence of the cause of the illness we may stay longer.” Cichol turned to leave. “Thank you for your help so far, bishop. I may have to tell Seiros of your kindness and cooperative spirit.”

“T-thank you, my lord. I will send interested parties to your chambers. If there is anything else you need, I have assigned Inde to fetch them for you. She is at your disposal.” The bishop bowed deeply. Perhaps Cichol should not have mentioned Seiros, but he figured the bishop was growing tired of his absentmindedness of late and needed a way to make it up to him. 

Cichol returned to his chambers quickly, and prepared to interview potential traveling companions. He was surprised at the sheer number of applicants, from nuns to knights in service of the church. He almost accepted the company of one male knight, but quickly changed his mind at the thought of the knight attempting to flirt with Rinne. He quickly chastised himself for this thought, as Rinne had not even applied to come on the journey. He thought maybe he would regret his rejection of this knight, but it was too late to change his mind now. After more than two hours of interviews, the stream of applicants finally ended with Rinne nowhere to be seen. Cichol could barely hide his disappointment at this, but he knew that it was unlikely for Rinne to show up anyways. After all, it had been several days since he had arrived, and he hadn’t seen her since that day. He was saddened by this, but figured it may have been for the best as her presence was merely too distracting for him.

“Lord Cichol, is there anything else you need before I retire for the night?” Inde asked as she peeked into his room from her post at his door, a slight smirk on her face at his apparent disappointment.

“No, thank you Inde. I think I should turn in for the night as well.” he said, quickly wiping the disappointment from his face. Inde bowed, shutting his door as she left. Cichol sighed deeply, leaning back in his chair and pressing his hands to his temples. He knew he would need plenty of sleep for the journey tomorrow, so he rose from his chair with a groan. He was nearly to his bed when he heard the faintest knock on his door. He froze, wondering if his ears had deceived him. The knock sounded again, quieter this time, and he felt anticipation rising in his chest. He quickly made his way to the door, taking a quick breath to calm himself before opening it. There she stood, bathed in the moonlight from the windows. Rinne was dressed the same as she was when they first met, hair tucked neatly under her scarf and long brown dress covering all but her face. Her eyes seemed to glow in the blue light, and he was sure his heart stopped entirely. Neither of them spoke, they merely stared at each other, taking in the moment and the sight of each other; her bathed in cool moonlight and him in the warm glow of candles from his room. She broke the silence first, and he was almost sad for it.

“Cichol, I am sorry I couldn’t come sooner. I heard you were seeking aid on a journey to the coast. I don’t know if I can be of any good to you as I am not a scholar nor am I any good in a fight. But I love the sea, and am familiar with the coast. I am a healer as well, though I know I am nothing compared to Nessa.” she spoke in a hushed, urgent tone. She was very good at speaking just barely loud enough to be heard, and he found himself leaning towards her. Whether this was to hear her better or merely out of an urge to be closer to her he did not know. “Please allow me to join you, I want to help however I can. I understand if you do not want to bring me, as I may slow you down but-”

“Rinne.” he cut her off. “I would be delighted if you came with me to the coast.” he smiled warmly, and she beamed back at him. Her smile was like the sun, warm and bright. He was a goner.

“Thank you, thank you so much lord Cichol. I will meet you tomorrow morning. Sleep well.” She turned and was gone down the hall before he could reply. The warmth of her smile still resonated throughout his chest, and he nearly floated back to his bed. He quickly drifted off to sleep, thinking only of Rinne’s eyes.

-

Cichol awoke moments before the rapping came once again at his door. However, this time he did not get out of bed to open it.

“Come in.” he called, already sure it was Inde and her team of nuns. He was correct in his assumption, as the nuns quickly went about their usual routine of placing his breakfast on the desk before leaving in a rush. Inde lingered in the doorway, like always, holding another piece of parchment.

“Good morning, lord Cichol. I wish you safe travels on your journey today. I have brought a detailed map of the coast, hopefully it will be of use to your investigation.”

“Thank you, Inde. I thought the bishop told me yesterday that the church had no detailed maps of this area.”

“You are correct, the church has no such map. Fortunately, I have many maps of the coast. I traveled there often with my family. This one is the most detailed and up-to-date, to the best of my knowledge.”

“That is very kind of you, Inde. I will make sure to treat it with care and return it to you at the end of my journey.”

“That won’t be necessary, I have no need for such a map as I am so familiar with the coast. Use it however you see fit. Now I will take my leave. Safe journey, may the Goddess protect you.” Inde bowed stiffly, placing the map next to his tray of food before leaving his room and shutting the door behind her. Cichol stretched before getting out of bed. He tucked the map into a satchel before starting in on his breakfast. Perhaps he was nervous, as he appetite had completely left him. Still, he picked at some of the hot food, and packed up the more sturdy food for the journey. It was a few hours trip to the coast Cara and her family had visited, and he knew they would need food for the journey. He collected his belongings, ensuring to grab his lance from its place on the wall before he headed down to the stables. 

His mind was racing as he approached the stable, as he knew Rinne was waiting for him there. He wanted to sprint as fast as he could to her, but he held himself back as running would cause too much of a scene. At last he made it to the stable, and as soon as he opened the door his wyvern scurried over, chirping with happiness. He did not realize how much he had missed the creature, as he scratched it under its chin. The wyvern rumbled with content, leaning its great head into his chest. He chuckled, patting his loyal mount before placing his satchels into the saddle bags. He loved the smell of the stable, musty and full of hay for the horses. He had never been much for riding horses, but he did still admire the creatures and their elegance. He peered further down the stable to see a beautiful ebony pegasus adorned with white and gold tack. As much as he loved his wyvern, he felt a bit of jealousy towards whoever owned that magnificent creature. He heard the clatter of hooves touching down on the cobblestones outside the stable, and went outside to greet the new arrival. Nessa stood next to a white pegasus, patting the creature on the neck before turning to greet Cichol.

“Nessa, thank you for agreeing to come with me.” Cichol said, smiling warmly at the healer, who had exchanged her traditional full-body nurse’s covering for light silver armor that glinted in the light of the rising sun.

“Of course, my friend. I figure it would do me well to get out of the infirmary every now and again. I heard it will be just the two of us on this journey, as you rejected every applicant to come with us. You’re a tough man to please.” she laughed, shaking her head at him.

“Actually, I did approve of one person to come with us. Someone who is very familiar with the coast. I was actually just looking for her.” He was interrupted by the clatter of hooves from inside the stable. The ebony pegasus emerged, led by none other than Rinne, dressed in brilliant gold and white armor, jade green hair delicately braided behind her head. Cichol and Nessa’s jaws just about hit the floor. Rinne shot them a warm smile, leading her pegasus towards the two, who were still recovering from their awe. Cichol broke the silence first.

“Rinne, thank you for joining us. I must say your pegasus is very impressive.” Nessa nodded her head in agreement.

“You are too kind, Cichol. I have had him since he was a baby. He is my dearest companion, as pathetic as that may sound.” Rinne chuckled, cheeks going slightly pink.

“Nonsense, I feel nearly the same about my wyvern. These creatures truly are a blessing from the Goddess.” Cichol agreed, moving to retrieve his wyvern from the stable. He heard the two women conversing about armor as he headed back into the stable. His wyvern looked at him excitedly, and he leaned his forehead against the beast’s nose. They stood in silence for a moment, each feeling the energy of the other. Cichol untied the wyvern from the hitching post and led it out of the stable. Nessa and Rinne turned as he approached, both laughing at something one of them had said. He was happy the two got on so well, as they could potentially be stuck with each other for quite some time.

“Well, are we ready to go?” Nessa chimed, a hint of laughter still in her voice.

“Let us depart at once.” Cichol agreed, turning to climb aboard his wyvern. Rinne and Nessa followed suit, their mounts stirring excitedly below them. With a whistle and click of the tongue, the three animals took quickly to the skies, carrying their excited riders high above the tops of the buildings. As Cichol looked back down at the ground he was reminded of his departure from Zanado a few days before, and a pang of sadness struck his heart. This sadness quickly left him as Rinne gave him one of her warm smiles. He smiled in return, feeling his apprehension and fear melting away like magic. Rinne took the lead on her ebony pegasus, flanked by Nessa to the left and Cichol to the right. The trio set their sights on the coast, the sound of wings flapping and the wind whipping by their ears calming them and invigorating them for the mission to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all i've hit such a block with chapter 5. i will keep updating until then, wish me luck for inspiration
> 
> ps thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed :)


	4. The Last Chapter

The fire snapped and popped, shooting sparks up into the dark night air. The glow gently illuminated Rinne and Nessa’s faces and Cichol was absolutely captivated. They had set up camp where the forest gave way to the beach near the sea, making sure to stay far enough from the popular area of the beach so they would not be disturbed by tourists or looters. The women chatted quietly about the scenery, both expressing a desire to swim in the water. Cichol strictly forbade that anyone enter the water as he could not risk one of them catching the sleeping sickness. His mind immediately conjured a picture of Rinne, still as death, her beautiful green eyes closed, never to open again. The thought formed a pit in his stomach, and he quickly forced the image from his mind. For some reason he could not shake the fear, and a dark feeling of dread set in. Rinne must have noticed his distress, as she scanned his face with worry.

“Cichol, are you feeling alright? You look troubled.” she said, green eyes flicking over his features.

“I am sorry, my mind simply was wandering. I am alright, I assure you.” he replied, giving her a half-hearted smile. She did not seem satisfied with this answer, but still turned back to Nessa to pick up their conversation again. He noticed her eyes flicking back over to him every so often to check that he was still alright. He stood suddenly, and both women looked at him in confusion.

“I am going to go down to the water. I wish to hear the waves.” Cichol said dryly. Nessa and Rinne nodded, watching him as he strode down the sand towards the water. He stood in the sand by the water’s edge, making sure not to touch the water at all. Perhaps he was too anxious. He closed his eyes and focused on the sound of the waves lapping at the sand. He tried to let some calm wash over him, but his fear would not abate. He heard the sound of footsteps approaching him from behind. He opened his eyes as they approached and stopped slightly behind him and to his left.

“She’s really worried about you, you know.” Nessa accused, slight irritation in her voice.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to dull your mood. I am just very worried about this mission. I don’t know how much good I can do here. I am not a healer nor a scholar. This assignment is like nothing I’ve faced before. In the past my brothers and I were dispatched together to go take down an enemy. A few swings of my lance and it was over. It was mindless, really. I should have let one of my brothers come in my place. Macuil has more of a mind for things like this than I do. Indech is so observant and helpful. All I have is my strength and luck. I fear I am not the man for this job.” Cichol hung his head, ashamed. He had not intended to admit that much to Nessa, but for some reason the words just kept tumbling out.

“Come now Cichol, you sound like you’re giving up before we’ve even started. You may not be a brilliant tactician or skilled craftsman like your brothers. But you know what you do have? Heart. Passion. Charisma. Those matter more to me than tactics and tools. I’ll have you know Cara came down to the infirmary downright singing your praises. You managed to get her to trust you completely in just one meeting. I don’t know too many people who can do that.”

“I suppose you are right, though I still have a bad feeling about this.”

“Bad feeling or no, we are in this together. The people need us. I know I speak for Rinne and myself when I say that we need you. You’re brilliant, Cichol. You should try putting as much faith in yourself as you do in others.” She placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed, and he placed his hand over hers.

“Thank you, Nessa. You have no idea how much that means to me.” He turned to face her, and she took her hand off his shoulder.

“For what it’s worth Cichol, I trust you. And I make a point not to trust anyone freely. I know you won’t betray my trust. Now come on, you look like you haven’t slept in ages.” Nessa smiled at him before turning to head back to camp. He followed behind her, mulling her words over in his head. As they approached camp, he saw Rinne sitting by the fire, watching them closely.

“I told you he was moping!” Nessa said with a chuckle. Rinne laughed softly, but returned to her scanning of Cichol’s face.

“Forgive me, Rinne. I fear I am not myself today. I think I had best turn in for the night, and I suggest you two do the same. Goodnight Nessa. Rinne.” He bowed to them slightly as they murmured their goodnights. Nessa doused the fire as they headed for their tents in the treeline. It made him feel slightly better that Nessa and Rinne would be sharing a tent. As much as he wished they could be within his sight at all times, he knew sharing a tent with them would be uncomfortable and improper. He entered his tent and laid out his bedroll mindlessly. He could hear the women a few feet away doing the same. The sounds of nature enveloped him; the rustle of the leaves as the breeze swept through, the distant lap of the waves against the shore, the occasional hooting of an owl and chirp of a cricket. He tucked into his bedroll, listening more intently to the sounds of the forest around him. It was lucky that his wyvern was so overprotective of him, as this allowed them all to sleep without having to stay up in shifts to keep guard. He trusted that if anything was wrong his wyvern would swiftly alert him. For that, he owed the creature his life many times over. He couldn’t count the number of times he had drifted off during a night watch and been saved from an ambush by his wyvern. Silently thanking the wyvern for its vigilance, he drifted off into a deep slumber.

-

Cichol sat by the fire, cooking some sausages for breakfast. He was the first of their party to wake, and so took the opportunity to cook for his companions. Nessa rose first, emerging from her tent still in her nightclothes. Cichol was surprised to find a shock of orange hair atop her head, and found himself staring intently at it as she joined him by the fire. He stared a bit too long, and she took notice.

“What is it Cichol, is there something in my hair?” she asked, running a hand through the wavy orange locks.

“No, not at all. I just believe this is the first time I have seen you without a scarf.” he replied, quickly casting his gaze back to the sausages.

“Oh, yes. It can be a bit...unruly so I tend to keep it tied back as a precaution. Does it...look bad?” she asked, surprising him.

“No! Goddess, no.” he stuttered. “It suits you. And it is lovely, I assure you.” He gave her a warm smile, and she turned away slightly, a blush rising on her cheeks. He removed the sausages from the fire, satisfied with how they turned out. He offered one to Nessa, who took it gladly. “Do you know if Rinne is awake yet?”

“Yes, she will be out soon. I think she’s doing her hair.” Nessa said between bites of meat. True to her word, Rinne emerged from the tent, jade hair braided elaborately as it was the day before.

“Ah, good morning. I hope I have not missed breakfast?” Rinne asked softly.

“Of course not, I saved you some food. I hope it is to your liking.” Cichol offered her a sausage, and she took it with a warm smile before seating herself next to Nessa and digging in. “So, what shall we do today?”

“I was thinking we could investigate the beach and its surroundings for anything that seems off. I will bring my wyvern along and see if it can find anything.” Cichol replied, looking over his shoulder at his wyvern who napped peacefully in the shade of a tree nearby.

“Sounds good to me. Perhaps we should split up to cover more ground? Oh, but then someone might get lost as you are both unfamiliar with this area.” Rinne replied. Cichol could see on her face that she was thinking hard.

“Not to worry. Rinne, you and Nessa can travel together. I was given a map of the area before we departed, so I will just use that.”

“But I thought the church had no map of this region. I checked the library myself.” Rinne replied, confusion written across her face.

“That is true, this map was given to me by my attendant. She said she had plenty of maps of the area.”

“Your attendant gave you a map? How strange. May I see it?” Rinne asked, confusion still furrowing her brows. Cichol retrieved the small map from his satchel and handed it to Rinne, who unfolded it quickly. As soon as the map was unfurled, panic swept across her face.

“Rinne, what’s wrong?” Nessa asked, peering into the map. Rinne quickly drew the map away before Nessa could get a good look at it.

“Inde gave you this map, didn’t she?” Rinne asked, locking her jade eyes with Cichol’s emerald ones.

“Yes, but-”

“I cannot believe this. She has gotten too bold this time. Forgive me, but I must dispose of this map immediately.” Before Cichol or Nessa could protest, Rinne incinerated the map in her hand. Both Cichol and Nessa were taken aback, not only was this behavior out of character, but this was the first time she had used magic in front of them. Rinne sat down stiffly and went back to intently eating her sausage. The tension in the air was palpable as all three turned silently back to their breakfasts. Even after they finished eating they all sat in awkward silence, each looking in a different direction so as not to meet anyone else’s eyes. Nessa broke the silence with a sigh, standing and turning to go back to her tent.

“I’m going to go get dressed” she said, waving her hand over her shoulder. Rinne and Cichol sat in tense silence for a few moments more before Rinne finally spoke up again meekly.

“I am sorry, Cichol but you must stay away from Inde. I’m sure she has said the same about me, but you can trust me, I promise.” Cichol turned to look at her, and he saw deep sadness and worry in her eyes.

“If that is what you wish. I trust you, Rinne.” he said, giving her a slight smile. Her eyes softened at this, and she looked relieved.

“Thank you. I am sorry to have to put you in the middle like this.”

“Rinne, I-” Cichol was cut off by a roar from his wyvern, baring its teeth in defense at a group of men charging their campsite, weapons drawn. “Rinne, get back!” Cichol shouted, retrieving his lance from where he stuck it in the sand. He charged the men and knocked the first two to the ground with one mighty swing of his lance. It was as if his body worked on pure instinct as he mowed down enemy after enemy. It was clear he was the more experienced fighter, not a single blow they threw hit him. He was perhaps growing overconfident in his abilities, and he let pride get the best of him. From out of the corner of his eye he saw a flash of movement headed towards him.

“Cichol, are you okay?” Rinne yelled, louder than he’d ever heard her speak before. She ran towards him across the sand.

“Rinne, no!” he yelled, but he was too late. The assassin lunged out from the shadows towards Rinne. She screamed, and he reacted without thinking. He threw himself between the assassin and Rinne as she screamed his name behind him. The assassin’s blade pierced his side and he cried out in pain, dropping his lance as he faltered. He wondered if this was it for him. He was not ready to die, but there was nothing he could do except pray. He closed his eyes and waited for the cold steel against his neck, ready to face what was coming. As long as Rinne was safe, it didn’t matter what happened to him. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as Thunder crackled down from the sky killing the assassin, who crumpled before him. He saw a flash of jade green as Rinne rushed to his side, followed by a mess of orange as Nessa followed close behind. The world around him faded as he slumped over on the sand. He reached out to her. “Rinne…” 

-

The cool tickle of light magic flicked over his side. 

He winced in pain. 

His heart beat fast. 

Too fast. 

He opened his eyes, or at least he tried to.

He could barely see.

He saw her.

He saw only her. 

Rinne, her hands red with blood. 

His blood. 

She called out his name, but his world faded to black again.

_ Cichol? Cichol, help me! Please, help! Cichol, I’m scared! _

_ Cichol, I love you! Ci- _

_ - _

_ [AN: the following is all of what i wrote for chapter 5, see the end of the chapter for more notes] _

_ - _

“Nessa, why isn’t it working? Why isn’t he waking up?” Cichol thought that sounded like Rinne. He wanted to shout  _ I am awake! I can hear you! _ But he couldn’t find his voice. He couldn’t move.

“Patience, Rinne.” Nessa’s voice. Calm, but worried. “He was wounded pretty badly. Magic can only do so much. His body has to do the rest.”

“I’m so worried. He shouldn’t have done that. Shouldn't have saved me.”

“Well he did. That was his choice. But you should have been paying attention. You’re lucky he was there to save you.”

“Oh Goddess, I don’t know what to do. What can I do?”

“Nothing. This is his fight now. I have faith in him, you should do the same.” He heard someone stand and leave the tent, heard their footsteps in the sand grow distant. He heard the one who remained start to sniffle and choke up. She cried silently at first, but her sniffles turned to sobs soon enough. He felt her slump over on his chest. Her tears fell onto him. He wanted so badly to comfort her, to wrap an arm around her, but he was paralyzed. He desperately wanted her to know that he was going to be okay, wanted her to stop crying over him. He gathered all the strength he could muster and forced it into his right hand, which lay draped over his stomach. He strained and forced for all he was worth, and he felt his hand move. It was barely a twitch, but he hoped it would be enough. The woman froze, a small gasp escaping her lips. She had stopped crying for the moment but still trembled on his chest.

“Cichol? Cichol can you hear me?” Rinne asked, her voice shaking with emotion. He wanted to move again, to shout, to do something, but he was still paralyzed. He once again mustered all his strength into his hand, and twitched it once more. “Oh Cichol, you fool!” she said, half laughing and half crying. “Cichol, I’m sorry. You scared me, I thought for sure you would die. I forbid you from throwing your life away to save mine ever again!” He would not agree to that. He would gladly throw himself in front of any blade for her. “I will be here with you until you are well again. Don’t worry, this time I will protect you.” She took his hand in hers. Her hand was so small and warm in his, rough and worn from many years of battle. He felt more tears drip onto his chest. He wanted so badly to wipe them away; wanted only to see her smile once more. He tried to move his hand again, but slipped away into darkness once more.

-

When he was finally able to open his eyes, Rinne was there. She slept peacefully on the ground beside him, only an arm’s length away. He tried to reach out and touch her, but was met with a sharp pain on his left side. He took a sharp breath in through his teeth, cradling the wound in his hand. He slowly worked himself into a sitting position, and peered down at his side. The scar was not pretty, but he knew Nessa did the best she could. He began to attempt to stand, but a wave of pain sent him crumbling back to the floor.

“Cichol! Are you okay? Don’t try to stand, you are not well!” Rinne was on him in an instant, helping him to lay on his back again, worry plastered across her face.

“Rinne, I am sorry. It seems my injury is worse than I thought.” he said, blushing slightly as her jade hair tickled his bare chest while she fussed over him.

“You’re lucky Nessa was here, I fear my healing magic is not nearly as strong as hers. I hate to think what might have happened if-”

“Do not think of such things.” he cut her off, knowing full well where her train of thought was headed. “We will both have to be more careful in the future.” She nodded in agreement before checking over his wound to ensure nothing needed further healing.

“I am going to let Nessa know you are awake. She said it may be a few weeks before you are fully recovered.” She turned to leave, but he caught her hand with his own.

“Wait, please stay with me a while longer.” he begged, not releasing his grip on her hand. She relented, and returned to sit next to him. “Rinne, I want to assure you that I do not regret my actions, nor will I shy away from repeating them in the future. I could not bring myself to stand idly by while you are hurt. I will not compromise on that. However, there is something you should know about me. I don’t know if you have figured this out yet, but I am a Nabatean. Are you familiar with this culture?”

“Only the name.”

“Hm, I would have hoped you would know more. No matter, I will explain as best I can. The Nabateans have been blessed by the Goddess. As such, we share her green hair and pointed ears, among other similarities. We also recover from injuries at remarkable speed, and some Nabateans have powers even beyond those.” he explained, his grip on her hand still strong. She stared at him in wonder as he pulled back his hair to reveal his full, pointed ear. She reached out to touch it, but he pulled away. “Forgive me, but my ears are very sensitive.”

“So are you saying you would take advantage of the blessing of the Goddess in order to preserve my life?” she asked, a hint of frustration creeping into her voice at the mention of the Goddess.

“No, not at all. I would not use her blessing so selfishly. I told you this to ease your worry as much as I could.” He neglected to mention that he also told her this in the hopes that she would confirm to him that she was Nabatean as well, but he had no such luck. Perhaps she was unaware of her heritage. Though this raised more questions about her upbringing than he had answers for.

“Still Cichol, it is just as you said. I too cannot bear to stand idly by when I see you in pain. I...I care for you, Cichol.” she stammered, her cheeks flushing beet red at her confession. He felt butterflies rise in his stomach at her words. He cared for her too, more deeply than he had previously known. He smiled at her warmly and squeezed her hand gently.

“I care for you too. But now that you know my secrets, you can speak of them to no one. It would not be so much of a secret in my home, Zanado, but here in Enbarr I fear there are some who would seek to do Nabateans harm.” He thought of the assassin from earlier. Did someone already know of his true power and seek to eliminate him, or was it just a band of thieves looking for loot? Again, he found himself with more questions than answers, a state that was growing more annoying each time he encountered it. He sighed, squeezing her hand once again. She smiled at him warmly, and he felt his breath hitch in his throat. He opened his mouth to speak again, but was overcome with a wave of exhaustion.

“Oh, you’ve pushed yourself too far. Sleep now, I will be here when you wake.” she said gently, pulling a sheet over him. She smiled at him again as the world faded from his view.

-

“Cichol, I don’t know how you did it, but it feels like you’re completely healed.” Nessa said, shaking her head in disbelief.

“Let’s just say I heal quickly.” Cichol said with a chuckle. Nessa shook her head again before helping him to his feet. His legs were shaky, as he’d spent the better part of a week laying in a tent. As soon as he stepped outside, his wyvern ran to him, shoving its great head into his chest.

“Hello old friend. I’m happy to see you too.” The wyvern chirped happily as he rubbed under its chin. Once the wyvern was content with its attention, it lumbered back to the treeline to take another nap. Cichol joined Rinne at the fire as she cooked some fish over the open flame. He sat down next to her, taking a deep inhale of the aromas of cooking.

“That smells wonderful, Rinne. Where did you learn to cook like this?”

“My mother taught me. I’m not much for actually catching the fish, but I can do just about everything else.”

“You’ll have to teach me sometime, I’ve always wanted to learn to fish.” She giggled, pulling a fish off the fire and offering it to him. She offered another to Nessa before taking the final fish for herself. The three ate in silence, too invested in enjoying their meals to spare a moment for conversation. When they had all had their fill, they continued in their silence, listening to the distant waves roll in.

“I really wish we could swim.” Nessa said with a sigh, looking longingly at the sea. Rinne nodded in agreement, joining her in her longing.

“Until we determine the cause of the sickness there will be no swimming at this beach for any of us.” Cichil said sternly. He wished to be in the water as well, but knew that the risk was too great. “Today we should survey the area near the beach for anything that seems amiss.” Nessa and Rinne nodded in agreement, each leaving to gather their belongings for the day’s journey. Cichol looked out at the water in their absence. He could not shake the feeling of dread that curled in his stomach. He was lost in thought until Nessa and Rinne returned, and the three friends set out down the beach.

-

“I can’t believe it. We spent the whole day pacing up and down the beach and we found absolutely nothing.” Nessa said, sinking to the ground by the campfire with a groan.

“We just have to keep looking, maybe getting a fresh start tomorrow will help.” Rinne suggested quietly, though her own frustration was obvious.

“There is nothing we can do about it now except try again in the morning. Or perhaps we should turn our search elsewhere?” asked Cichol, trying to hide his disappointment at the lost time.

“Perhaps we could search other locations on the beach? We could split up, like you suggested before…” Rinne trailed off, pain written across her face at the memory.

“We could split up, but I must insist that I travel with you for protection, Rinne. Nessa can travel with my wyvern if she so desires.” Cichol turned to look at Nessa for confirmation, only to be met with a huff and a frustrated toss of orange hair.

“Cichol, you worry too much. I assure you I can take care of myself.” Rinne said with a smile. “But I assent; I will travel with you tomorrow.” Cichol berated his foolish heart for racing at the thought of spending time alone with Rinne.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> howdy folks
> 
> just wanted to let anyone reading know that this work has effectively been abandoned, and I have updated the tags to reflect this. sorry to anyone who was ~vibing~ with this work
> 
> for all of my lovely fellow seteth lovers who just came here for some sweet dragon dad action, never fear as he is being incorporated into my new work, which i am going to complete even if it kills me.
> 
> thanks to all of you who read this far, and extra thanks to all of you who left kudos on this dumpster fire of a work. y'all mean everything to me.


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